Motion repeating machine



Dec. 8, 1942.

F. E. SUTTON MOTION REPEATING MACHINE Filed March 19, 1941 INVENTIOR MVW ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 8, 1942 UNITED STATES E A'EENT OFFICE MOTION REPEATING MACHINE Frederic E. Sutton, Bloomfield, N. J.

Application March 19, 1941, Serial No. 384,066

9 Claims.

capable of widespread uses, some of which have been mentioned above.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will appear to those skilled in the art upon reading the following description of the invention and of the manner and process of making, constructing, compounding, and using it, and I shall also explain herein what I now believe to be the principle thereof, and the best mode in which I have contemplated applying that principle.

Desiring to have it understood that my invention may be carried out by other means and with other apparatus, and that it may be used in other environments and for other purposes, I shall now proceed to describe What I now consider to be a preferred form of apparatus for practicing the invention. 1

Referring to the drawing, which illustrates the said preferred form of my invention:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the translating or controlling apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation taken on a vertical plane through'the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation taken on a vertical plane through the line 4- of Fig. 1.

'Fig. 5 is a somewhat diagrammatic view showing one form of control connections.

The apparatus comprises a reciprocatory actuating device if! and an element H to be unidirectionally actuated thereby. While the invention may be embodied in other forms in which the actuating device and the actuated element move rectilinearly, I prefer the form shown in which the actuating device In is mounted for oscillation about the axis of the shaft or rod i3,

oscillating the device ill. 'I also provide means for positively locking the element i l to the actuating device ill at certain selected predetermined times in the operation of the latter. This last mentioned means, as shown, is a form of mechanical clutch comprising teeth and interposed between the device In and the element H and which when operative (in clutching position) compels the device it and the element II to move as a unit about the axis of the shaft I3, and which when inoperative (dc-clutched) permits relative movement of the device H! with respect to the element H about the axis of the shaft l3, thereby breaking thedrive connection While more pins or teeth could be provided, I have shown the'device It provided with only one tooth or pin i i, having found that this will suffice for many of the uses to which the apparatus may be put. This tooth or pin it is adapted to engage into any one of a plurality of equi-angularly spaced openings in the element H which, conveniently, may be the peripheral openings between the teeth of a spur gear, as shown. When the tooth I4 is in any of the spaces between a'djacent teeth of the element II, the latter is positively clutched or locked to the device 50 so far as movement in either direction about the axis of the shaft I3 is concerned (see Figs. 1 and 2).

and the element l I to be actuated is mounted for movement about the same axis.

I provide means, presently to be described, for I The device it and the element i l are relatively movable axially to effect clutching and de-clutching. In the particular apparatus shown, the actuating device I!) is constrained against endwise or axial movement by being provided with annular shoulders which cooperate with annular shoulders provided by the sleeve i5-l6 fixedly secured to the frame I! of the apparatus. Thus, the actuating device is incapable of any move ment except oscillatory movement aboutthe axis of the shaft E3. The element II is not only rotatably mounted but also for endwise or axial movement from the clutching position shown in Figs. l. and 2, to a position to the left in which the pin or tooth i4 is completely disengaged. To this end, the hub of the element I! is fixedly secured, as by means of a set screw 19 to the shaft l3, mounted for rotation and endwise movement in the sleeves l5, l8, secured to the frame of the apparatus. In the particular embodiment shown, the shaft i3 is urged or biased toward the right (Figs. 1, 2 and 4), i. e. to clutch parts III-- M, by a leaf spring 29 fixed at one end to the frame H and engaging at its free end a projecting portion of the shaft i3 (see particularly Fig. 4).

From the description thus far it will be appreciated that if the device It] is oscillating and the element II is clutched to the said device If] during front or forward strokes of the latter, and de-clutched during back or return strokes, the element ID will be advanced step-by-step unidirectionally, i. e. in the same single direction about its axis of rotation. If the element H is clutched to the device l during back strokes of the latter and de-clutched during front strokes, the element II will be advanced step-by-step unidirectionally in the opposite direction.

Before proceeding further with the description of the apparatus for oscillating the device Ii) and for effecting clutching and de-clutching, I shall now describe another important feature of the apparatus shown. It is desirable in many cases to insure that the element H shall not move angularly, or about its axis of rotation between actuating strokes of the device NJ, i. e. when the parts Iii-ll are de-clutched. To rely solely upon friction in some cases to prevent or impede such undesired angular movement or rotation would be unsafe and moreover such friction would be undesirable during active strokes of the device ID in advancing the element I l. I therefore provide means for automatically looking the element ll against any and all movement about the axis of the shaft it except when the said element II is clutched to the device 50. A simple though effective form of such means is a stationary locking pin 22 mounted in the frame of the apparatus and engageable with the space between adjacent teeth on the element H after the fashion of the tooth or pin id but when the device I0 and element H are declutched. In the embodiment shown the design and/or adjustment of parts are such that (l) the element II is at all times either locked against any and all angular movement by engagement with the pin 22, or locked or clutched to the device 10 and constrained to move with it as a unit (this being effected by the entry of one of the pins I4, 22 between adjacent teeth on the element ll before the other of said pins leaves the space between adjacent teeth on the 4 said element) and (2) whenever the element H has completed an increment or step of movement under propulsion by the device N3, the locking pin 22 will be in accurate alignment with respect to a space between adjacent teeth on the element 10, and (3) whenever the element H is moved axially to effect clutching of the parts |0--l I, a space between adjacent teeth of the element ll will be in accurate alignment with the tooth or pin l4. all undesired angular movements of the element II are prevented and accuracy in operation is attained.

I shall now proceed with the description of the illustrated means for oscillating the actuating device ID. The latter, which carries the tooth or pin l4, constitutes one arm (see Fig. 3) of a bell-crank lever which, as stated, is mounted for oscillation on the sleeve l 5-I6, and whose other arm 23 is engaged by and operated in one direction (counter-clockwise as viewed in Fig. 3) by a plunger or reciprocatory rod 24 mounted for sliding movement in the frame of the apparatus. The said bell-crank lever is urged or biased in the opposite direction (clockwise as viewed in Fig. 3) by a tension spring 25 secured at one end to a stationary pin 26, mounted in the frame of the apparatus and, at its opposite end to a pin 21 secured to the arm or device I0.

While other means such, for example, as

By these provisions pneumatically or hydraulically operated suitably controlled pistons, diaphragms, or Sylphons, may be employed, at least in some cases, for operating the shaft l3 and the plunger or rod 24 in directions against the force exerted by the respective springs 20 and 25, I now prefer to use solenoids to accomplish the stated functions. Thus, the shaft 13 has secured thereto, at the end opposite the spring 28 (Fig. 4), the magnetizable core 3% of a solenoid whose stationary winding 3i is secured to and carried by the frame I l of the apparatus. Also, the plunger rod 24 has secured thereto (Fig. 3) the magnetizable core 32 of a solenoid whose stationary winding 33 is secured to and carried by the frame E1 of the apparatus. When the coil or winding 3! is energized, the shaft 13 is thereby moved to the left (Fig. 4) to de-clutch the actuating device NJ and the element H, and when the coil 34 is de-energized, the spring 23 moves the shaft l3 to the right to effect clutching. When the coil or winding 33 is energized, the actuating device H1 is thereby moved in a counter-clockwise direction (Fig. 3), and when the coil 33 is de-energized, the spring 25 moves the device H] in the opposite direction, i. e. clockwise (Fig. 3).

To facilitate accurate control or adjustment of the throw or stroke of the tooth or pin :4 and accurate control or adjustment of the relative positions of the pin 22, element H and pin M, I have made the following provisions. The core 32 is tapped to receive the screw-threaded end of the rod 24 whereby upon relatively rotating the core and rod, the length or distance from the outer end of the core and the outer end of the rod may be adjusted and then looked in adjusted position by the lock nut 46. The outer end of the core 32 abuts against a stationary stop to limit the stroke of the device I0 under the action of the spring 25. This stop, shown as a screw 4! which screws into a tapped hole in the bracket 42 secured to the frame of the machine, may be adjusted by turning it as desired, and then locked in adjusted position by the lock nut 43. The other limit of the stroke of the device I!) is determined by abutment of the nut 48 against the end of the adjustable sleeve 44 in which the rod 24 is slidably mounted. The pin or tooth M has a cylindrical shank portion (the right hand portion-Figs. 1 and 2) which seats in a cylindrical hole provided in the element I0, whereby the pin M may be angularly adjusted about its own axis and may be longitudinally adjusted in directions parallel to the axis of the shaft l3. The pin or tooth M may be locked in any of its adjusted positions by a set screw 45 which may be screwed into and out of a suitably tapped radial hole provided in the outer end of the device In and which intersects, at right angles, the bore in which the shank of the pin or tooth i4 is mounted. The purposes and advantages of these various adjustments should now be apparent in view of the foregoing disclosures and description herein.

Fig. 5 shows one of the more numerous systems of electrical connections which may be utilized if solenoids such as 3lJ-3l and 32-33 are employed in the production of the desire-d oscillations of the device I i! and in the control of the movements of the element Ii by the device In. Assume that the cam disc 58 is rotated manually or automatically and it is desired to reproduce its movement synchronously or proportionately by the element II (or by apparatus actuated thereby, as hereinafter described). To this end, the following switches and electrical connections may be satisfactorily employed.

The cam 50 has associated therewith switch operating elements I 53 which are movable only in reverse directions radially with respect to cam disc 50. When the high part of the cam en-' gages the switch operating element 5| it causes the conducting bridge piece 52 electrically to con-' nect the fixed contacts 55, and when the low part of th'e'cam 50 engages the operating element 5|, the latter moves toward the cam 50 (being biased in that direction by gravity or other suitable well-known means) and the bridging connection between the contacts is broken. The switch operating element 53 is similarly operated when the high part of the cam 50 reaches it to cause the bridge piece 54 electrically to connect the contacts 56 and to disconnect them while the low part of thecam 50 arrives. The solenoid'win'ding 3| is electrically connected in series with the contacts 55-55 across a "suitable source of E. M. F. 60, and the solenoid winding 331s elec-' trically connected in series with the contacts 56-56 across the same source 60;'a common return conductor being employed between the source 50 and one end of each of the windings 3|, 33. The sequence and duration of closure oi the cam operated contacts is indicated in' the developed cycle diagram at the bottom of Fig. 5 and included as a part thereof. There the shaded strips I5 I, I53 represent the intervals during each revolution of the cam 50 when the contacts 55-55 and 55-56, respectively, are bridged, i. e. electrically closed.

Assume, as stated, that the cam 50 is rotating clockwise. The contacts 55-55 have been closed by the arrival of the high part of the cam, and the winding 3I has been energized, resulting in de-clutching device I!) from element II. Continued rotation of the cam 50 causes the high, part thereof to arrive at the switch-operating element 53, thereby closing the cpntacts 56-56 and energizing the solenoid winding 33. There-.

upon the actuating device III is operated one stroke in a counter-clockwise direction (as viewed in Fig. 3, or clockwise as viewed from the left looking toward the right in Fig. 1) but the element I I, being at this time de-clutched from the actuating device I0, does not move with it through that stroke, but remains stationary, being locked against angular movement in either direction by the pin 22. Continued rotation of the cam 50 causes the low part thereof to arrive at the switch-operating element 5 I, whereupon the contacts 55-55 are opened, the winding 3I de-energi zed, and the device II) and element IIbecome,

clutched. Continued rotation of the cam 50 causes its low part to arrive at the switch-open,

ating element 53 thereby opening the contacts 56-56 and de-energizing the winding 33. Thereupon the actuating element is returned by the spring 25 to the position shown in Fig. 3. During this stroke the parts III, II stand clutched sothat angular movement of the element I I is produced, the element I I moving in unison with the device It. This cycle is repeated as long as the cam continues to rotate in the direction assumed and indicated.

If and when the cam 50 reverses its direction of rotation, the direction of angular movement of the element I I is also reversed and automatically.

Now the element I I will be actuated by movement of the actuating device It by its solenoid 32-33;

the parts III-II being de-clutched during the strok produced by the spring 25.

Thus the angular movement of the element I I will be at all times proportionate to that of the .cam 55 and in the same direction as that of the cam. If it is desired to produce or equal angular displacement of an element adjacent the element I I, with respect to the cam 50, this may be achieved by suitable gearing driven by the element II. In other cases it may be desirable to produc proportionate angular movement at a lower ratio. This may be achieved in various ways among which is that illustrated, embodying a spur gear I0 secured to the same hub as the element II and continuously in mesh with a larger spur gear II (regardless of endwise movements of the element II) secured as by means of a set screw I3 to a suitably journaled shaft I2. The shaft 72 may be employed to operate any of a variety of desired instrumentalities such as an indicator, recorder, damper, etc.

The repeating apparatus shown in Figs. 1 to 4 may be located remotely with respect to the controlling cam 50, there being but three line wires, or two line wires and a ground return, required to achieve the results thus far described.

In some cases it may be desirable to reverse the direction of angular movement of the element I I' with respect to that of the controlling cam 50. While this could be effected by reversing certain of the leads or conductors, it may be more conveniently and quickly accomplished by means illustrated and which I shall now proceed to describe. I i

A switch I5, which may be manually operable, when moved from the full line to the dotted line position, removes the control from the back contacts 55-55, 55-56, and causes front contacts Iii-16 and TI-I'I of the switch-operating elements 5!, 53 to assume control. It will be seen that the winding 3| will now be controlled by the front contacts I'I-I'I, and the winding 33 by the front contacts 16-15. These front contacts are opened when the high part of the cam 50 arrives at the corresponding switch-operating element 5!, 53, and are closed, 1. e. conductively bridged, when the low part of the cam arrives.

Among other advantages which will now be apparent, it will be appreciated that the apparatus shown in Figs. 1 to 4 may be duplicated or any number thereof may be operated in exact synchronism with each other from a single cam control. The particular system shown may be supplied either A. C. or D. 0., the source 50 being merely diagrammatic.

It will be noted that when the parts I0 and II are de-clutched, there is no tendency for the latter to move angularly, by friction or otherwise, with the former, i. e. with the actuating device III. Furthermore, when the parts It and II are clutched, i. e. locked together, the entire torque is transmitted mechanically and not magnetically in any sense. In fact, when the winding SI is ale-energized, the parts It and II are clutched or locked together. I wish also to emphasize that during the entire operation, and even when the line is dead and both solenoids 3i, 33, deenergized, the element II is in engagement with at least one of the pins I I and 22. Moreover, the shapes of the pin or tooth I I and the teeth on the element II, with which the tooth M cooperates, are such that when the parts It and II are clutched, the same torque would continue to be transmitted by the device It] to the element ll even though the spring 20 were not present. In short, when angular movement is being transmitted by the device Hi to the element II, there is no tendency of the tooth I4 to push the element II away or in any direction parallel to the axis of the shaft I3.

I have described above an adjustable mounting of the pin or tooth M in the device If] and how that pin may be held in desired positions of adjustment by means of a set screw Q6. The stop pin 22 is shown similarly adjustable in the frame of the machine by virtue of its cylindrical shank portion 8i], and the set screw 8! similar to the set screw 46 serves as a means for locking the pin 22 in any of its desired positions of adjustment.

The sleeve 44 (Fig. 3) whose upper end limits, by the nut 40 abutting it, the extent of downward stroke of the rod 24, is shown adjustably mounted in the frame of the machine so as to be movable vertically up or down in the frame and then held in the desired position of adjustment by means of a set screw 83 which extends into a tapped opening provided in the frame at right angles to the sleeve.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have herein described the principle of operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiments thereof, but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus disclosed is only illustrative and that the invention can be carried out by other means. Also, while it is designed to use the various features and elements in the combinations and relations described, some of these may be altered and others omitted, without interfering with the more general results outlined, and the invention extends to such use within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In apparatus of the class described, in combination, an actuating device mounted for reverse movements about an axis, an element to be actuated thereby and mounted for reverse movements about the same axis, a mechanical clutch interposed between said device and element and including teeth for preventing all relative movement between said device and element about said axis when said clutch. is in clutching position, means for operating said actuating device, means for operating said clutch from clutching to de-clutched position and vice versa, and means controlling the sequence of operation of said first and second named means for causing successive movements of said device in either direction about said axis to actuate said element about said axis unidirectionally in the selected direction.

2. In apparatus of the class described, in combination. an actuating device mounted for reverse movements about an axis, an element to be actuated thereby and mounted for reverse movements about the same axis, a mechanical clutch interposed between said device and element and including teeth for preventing all relative movement between said device and element about said axis when said clutch is in clutching position, means for operating said actuating device, means for operating said clutch from clutching to de-clutched position and Vice versa, means controlling the sequence of operation of said first and second named means for causing successive movements of said device in either direction about said axis to actuate said element about said axis unidirectionally in the selected direction, and means positively locking said element against movement except when said clutch means is in operative condition.

3. Apparatus for converting reciprocatory motion into unidirectional motion comprising, in combination, a reciprocatory device, an element to be actuated thereby, clutch means for positively locking said element to said device to drive said element, means including a solenoid having a stationary winding for operating said clutch means from operative to released condition and vice versa, means including a second solenoid having a stationary winding for operating said reciprocatory device and correlated to said last mentioned means for causing said element to be driven by said device only on forward strokes of the latter, or only on backward strokes thereof, and means controlling the sequence of energization of said translating instruments.

4. Apparatus for converting reciprocatory motion into unidirectional motion comprising, in combination, a reciprocatory device, an element to be actuated thereby, clutch means for positively locking said element to said device to drive said element, means including an energy-converting translating instrument for operating said clutch means for operative to released condition and vice versa, means including a second energyconverting translating instrument for operating said reciprocatory device and correlated to said last mentioned means for causing said element to be driven by said device only on forward strokes of the latter, or only on backward strokes thereof, means positively locking said element against movement except when said clutch means is in operative condition, and means controlling the sequence of energization of said translating instruments.

5. Apparatus for converting oscillatory motion into unidirectional rotational motion comprising, in combination, an oscillatory device, a rotatably mounted element to be actuated thereby, clutch means for positively locking said element to said device to drive said element, means including a solenoid having a stationary winding for operating said clutch means from operative to released condition and vice versa, means including a second solenoid having a stationary winding for operating said oscillatory device and correlated to said last mentioned means for causing said element to be driven by said device only on forward strokes of the latter, or only on backward strokes thereof, and means controlling the sequence of energization of said translating instruments.

6. Apparatus for converting oscillatory motion into unidirectional rotational motion comprising, in combination, an oscillatory device, a rotatably mounted element to be actuated thereby, clutch means for positively locking said element to said device to drive said element, means including an energy-converting translating instrument for operating said clutch means from operative to released condition and vice versa, means including a second energy-converting translating instrument for operating said oscillatory device and correlated to said last mentioned means for causing said element to be driven by said device only on forward strokes of the latter, or only on backward strokes thereof, means positively locking said element against movement except when said clutch means is in operative condition, and means controlling the sequence of energization of said translating instruments.

'7. In apparatus of the class described the combination with a reciprocatory device and an element to be actuated thereby, of means including an energy-converting translating instrument for causing relative movement of said device and element for positively locking them together during actuating movement of said device in one direction and for releasing said element from said device upon idle reverse movement of the latter, and additional locking means relatively movable with respect to said element for preventing undesired movement of said element Whenever the latter is not locked to said device.

8. In apparatus of the class described, in combination, a reciprocatory actuating device, an element to be actuated thereby, means including a solenoid having a stationary winding for causing relative movement of said device and element for positively locking them together, means including another solenoid having a stationary winding for reciprocating said device, and means controlling the sequence of operation of said first and second named means for causing successive strokes of said device in either direction to actuate said element unidirectionally in the selected direction.

9. In apparatus of the class described, in combination, a reciprocatory actuating device, an element to be actuated thereby, means including an energy-converting translating instrument for causing relative movement of said device and element for positively locking them together, means including a second energy-converting translating instrument for reciprocating said device, means controlling the sequence of operation of said first and second named means for causing successive strokes of said device in either direction to actuate said element unidirectionally in the selected direction, and means positively locking said element against movement except when said element is being actuated by said device.

FREDERIC E. SUTTON.

CERTIFICATE 'OF CORRECTION.

Patent No.2,5OLh5 1h. December l9l 2 FREDERIC E.- SUTTON.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed vspe eification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: column, line 19, for "while" read -.when-; page 14., second column; line 29, claim 11., for the words means for" read -nieans from and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction. therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the PatentOffic e.

Signed and, sealed this 9th day of February, A. D. 1911.5.

Henry Van Arsdale, (Sea 1) Acting Commissionerof Patents.

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